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Dwarf
Dwarves are a short, tough, stubborn race that prefers living underground in the mountains. Physical Appearance Dwarves are a short race standing between 4'3" and 4'9" on average. What Dwarves lack in height they make up for in bulk; they are, on average, about as heavy as humans. A dwarf can weigh anywhere from about 160 to 220 lbs. Dwarven males are a bit taller and heavier than their female counterparts. Like humans dwarves have a wide variety of skin, eye, and hair colors, from pale to deeply tanned or brown. Hazel eyes are most common throughout the race, with blue, brown, or green eyes being fairly common as well. Male dwarves often grow thick beards sometimes used to display social status. It is a common misconception that female dwarves also do this, who instead just braid their long hair. This hair is often dark in hue. Dwarves are a long lived race though not quite as long lived as Elves. Dwarves have an with an average life span of 200 to 250 years and reach adulthood at the age of 30. Personality Dwarves share many of the same qualities as the god of earth who created them. They are strong, hardy, and dependable. Dwarves are often impolite, particularly elders, but they can possess a wisdom beyond that of many other races. They value their traditions and usually look for inspiration from ancestral heroes. Dwarves are also known for their stubborn nature and cynicism, traits widespread amongst the dwarves but which contribute to and are commonly offset by their bravery and tenacity. Dwarven friendship is hard to earn, but is strong once won. Naturally dour and suspicious, the stout folk are slow to trust others, specifically towards those outside their family, suspecting the worst of an individual until the outsider proves their good will. Once this trust is gained, dwarves hold their friends to it. They view betrayals, even minor ones, with an immense amount of disdain and anger. For dwarves, loyalty is more than a word and it should be both valued and rewarded. Dwarves believe it a gift and mark of respect to stand beside a friend in combat, and an even deeper one to protect that ally from harm. Many dwarven tales subsequently revolve around the sacrifice of dwarves for their friends and family. Just as dwarves are known for their dependability as friends and allies, dwarves also harbor grudges far longer than many other races. This may be on an individual basis between a dwarf and one who has wronged him or against entire races, even if warfare with the enemy has long since ceased. Dwarves are a careful and deliberate race, with a more serious disposition than other races, who they sometimes view as flighty or reckless. A dwarf does all things with care and a stubborn resolve, with brash or cowardly behavior unusual for the race. However, dwarves can succumb easily to wrath or greed, which are the most common vices of the race. Culture Dwarves highly value the ties between family members and friends, weaving tightly knit clans. Dwarves particularly respect elders, from whom they expect sound leadership and the wisdom of experience, as well as ancestral heroes or clan founders. This idea carries on to relations with other races and dwarves are deferential even to the elders of another, non-dwarven race. Likewise, dwarves turn to their gods for guidance and protection. The rare individual dwarf might be faithless, but the race has a whole has a strong inclination for religion and almost every community maintains at least one temple or ancestral shrine. Dwarkar Most dwarven societies are divided into Dwarkar, or clans, built along family ties and political allegiances. These clans are usually led by hereditary rulers, often monarchs of a sort and descended from the founder of the clan. Dwarves strongly value loyalty to these rulers and to the clan as a whole and even objective dwarves tend to side primarily with their kin over other races or communities. Religion The chief deity of the dwarves is Ogden, their creator. Many dwarves worship other deities in addition to Ogden, but it is very rare to find a dwarf who doesn't on some level worship Ogden. Language Dwarves have their own language called Dwarven. The clans all speak a dialect of Dwarven, but the dialects are close enough that one would still be able to understand someone speaking a dialect different than the one they are used to. Names Dwarves are given a name at birth which they go by until they become an adult. Once adulthood is reached, the clan gives them a name, usually from a fallen hero. The name is used as a badge showing what clan the dwarf belongs to. If a dwarf shames his clan, he may be stripped of his clan name. Architecture Dwarves do not build their structures; rather, they carve them out of the walls of cliffs and caves and provide intricate tunnels and building complexes. Not requiring much light, Dwarves do not usually carve windows or overly large doorways. They're known for their stone-craft and have very beautifully carved tunnels and caverns, sometimes even working lava-flows into their structures to provide an animated glow to their artwork. Clothing Dwarves, being the excellent smiths that they are, are quite tolerant of wearing armor and are the only speices that tends to wear chainmail and other armors as simple casual clothing. Leather is a fairly common material but cloth is rarely used as obtaining such material is difficult in their climate. Diet The Dwarven diet revolves around protein, fat, and alcohol. Poultry and fish are considered "nancy foods," where red meat is a staple of dwarven culture. Recipes usually have the meat cooked in or glazed in some form of alcohol and left as rare as possible while still being sanitary. The copious blood from a dwarven dish is enough to make many ill from just the sight. All the vegetables that dwarves consume are cooked with the meat and its not uncommon to be served a slop of mixed vegetables. The small amount of bread that the dwarves eat is considered edible by only dwarves and the iron-stomached members of the khin population. The loaf itself is hard enough to bruise anyone struck with it, and its flavor is almost nonexistent. Mead and ale are the preferred forms of alcohol, while wine is considered a fruity beverage meant for children. After a full meal, a dwarf will top it all off by sitting back and relaxing as he licks at a solid, 3-inch block of salt. These saltlicks usually last a dwarf for about a week. Relations Dwarves tend to be initially distrustful of others, but once their trust is gained, they will never betray that loyalty. If their trust is betrayed, however, they are very slow to forget and will hold a grudge for several decades and even through generations. Some dwarven kingdoms have allied themselves with various nations of other races based on their dealings with them. They are particularly wary of Elves as they were created by Ardel, Ogden's rival. The Khin are a particularly strong ally of the dwarves as they share the mountains with the dwarves and provide them with a variety of goods not available under the surface. Lands Dwarves are usually found living under mountains. They carve large cities underground usually around mines. They continuously carve out new living space, mining the mountains as they go. An outsider would find the dwarven cities' tunnel networks very confusing. This, in addition to the impenetrable walls, assists in the defense of their cities. History Dwarves were created by Ogden when he thought he could make a race better then humans or any other race the other gods could create. They were made from the element of earth making them very strong and stubborn. Ogden created them to live inside the very earth they were created from. Ethnic Groups Known Ethnicities: *Ang'Dwar - "Silver Dwarves" tend to have lighter skin than common dwarves. Their eyes and hair are ofter silver reguardless of age. *Aur'Dwar - "Gold Dwarves" usually have bronze almost golden skin and eyes. Their hair is often a blond color. *Dor'Dwar - "Iron Dwarves" are the most often seen dwarven ethnicity. Many who are not used to seeing dwarves believe they are what all dwarves look like. *Marnarn'Dwar - "Magic Dwarves" are probably the most odd looking dwarves. Their hair and skin tones range in colors from all over the color spectrum. Their eyes glint in the right light, much like a cat's eyes. Rumored Ethnicities: *Alf'Dwar - "Air Dwarves" were theorized to be dwarves altered by Ardel after he realized that dwarves were better then elves during the Divine Schism. *Aun'Dwar - "Water Dwarves" were theorized to be dwarves altered by Glaile after she realized that dwarves were better then saquan during the Divine Schism. *Auraun'Dwar - "Ale Dwarves" are master drinkers and are said to be able to drink even the most stubborn dwarf under the table and to have multiple bladders. They are considered a fairy tale by most, but some dwarves claim to have Auraun'Dwar ancestry. *Azan'Dwar - "Night Dwarves" *Gurnvos'Dwar - "Tree Dwarves" are supposedly a race of dwarves who have forsaken the mountains in preference for the forests. They are supposed to worship Etan above all else. *Nur'Dwar - "Gem Dwarves" were theorized to have come about much in the same way as the gold of silver dwarves. *Tel'Dwar - "Fire Dwarves" were theorized to be dwarves altered by Faris after she realized that dwarves were better then khin during the Divine Schism. *Braut'Dwar - "Demon Dwarves" *Darsam'Dwar - "Celestial Dwarves" Category:Races